Page 36 of Morning's Light

Aisanna let out a long-suffering sigh. “Mom, can we enjoy just one night? It’s supposed to be a celebration of the promise of renewal, earth awakening and life-force stirring. Hope. Not you trying to play matchmaker again.”

“I only want you to be happy.”

“Keep it up and I’ll consider running out of the house screaming. It would go a long way in my book if you would just drop it.”

“Valentine’s Day is also coming up…” Varvara let her voice trail off.

Aisanna would have retaliated had she not seen the way her mother’s eyes fell on her plate, how she repeatedly rubbed the nape of her neck.

“I’m simply saying. The two of you have been together for years. He comes from a good family, with connections. He could take care of you.” And between the lines, something Varvara hadn’t said: Israel would have the means to keep her safe once the eclipse arrived.

“It’s casual sex, Mom,” Aisanna said somewhat crudely. “Not something you would understand.”

Thorvald laughed before swallowing the sound at a well-placed look from his wife.

“I’m just worried about you. I’m allowed to worry when you almost died last week. You’re also getting old enough. It’s time to settle down. Your younger sister found a good man.”

“Thank you.” Leo sent her a devilish grin.

Thorvald scooped a second helping of broccoli casserole onto his place, appearing unconcerned with the topic. “Var, will you leave the kid alone? She’s old enough to make her own decisions. There’s enough stress in this room without you adding to it by forcing marriage proposals on your daughters.”

“Thereby using the word ‘kid’ in a manner not conducive to its meaning,” Astix pointed out.

“Young lady, you are going about it in the right way if your aim is having your invitation into this house revoked! You and your sass talk.” Despite the warning, there was a twinkle in her father’s eyes.

Thorvald and his middle child shared more attitude than any of the others put together. Growing up, it put them at odds. Now they seemed to have grown into a pattern.

Aisanna sighed, wishing she could be back in her apartment with a microwaved meal, a glass of wine, and embarrassing reality television. “Honestly, let’s drop the entire thing and go on about our evening.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry! I know no one wants to hear me, but I simply don’t know what else to say.” Varvara sliced through her turkey meat with zeal. She hacked away at the piece until only inch-wide chunks remained, smothered in gravy. “Especially considering your accident. I’m going out of my mind and there’s not a damn thing anyone will let me do.”

“Because we have it covered, Mom,” Astix said with a loud sigh. “You dragged me into this mess. Let me handle it.”

“You’re handling it so well. I’m still waiting for Zenon to walk through the door.” Thorvald offered an amused smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“You’ll have your precious baby boy as soon as I can find a way to get him out. I’m doing my best.”

Aisanna reached for her magic and let the glow of it engulf her. This will show them. With a whoosh, she released a flood of power, unnoticeable until honeysuckle vines wrapped around her mother’s knife and fork, sending them away with a clatter.

Varvara reared back from the table with a screech of wood on wood. “That is not acceptable behavior in my house!”

“Yeah, of course it’s not. What was I thinking?” For the hell of it, and because it was the first time she felt in control for weeks, Aisanna let loose another spell. A large banana leaf popped out of the air and wrapped itself around her mother’s mouth, stemming the agitated flow of words.

Unfortunately for her, in a world where magic passed down along gender lines, Varvara’s strengths far exceeded her own. The leaf and vines dissipated into nothing.

“I said, knock it off!”

The legs of Aisanna’s wooden chair returned to their original splendor of rough oak and knocked Aisanna up from her seat. Wormy trunks with moss and lichen pushed her down and held her captive.

“Okay, I give up. This isn’t funny anymore.” Despite being thoroughly amused, a wave of pain shot through her. “I’m sorry. I was trying to break the tension!”

“You leave my sister alone.” Astix jumped into the melee with savage delight. A splinter of granite materialized up from the floor, causing her mother to jump out of the way in avoidance.

Through it Thorvald sat, quietly finishing the rest of his dinner. This was better than the silence from previous dinners, at least. The silence and useless anger and the new dread settling between them.

Varvara laughed, rose thorns escaping from her fingertips and pricking any in her path. “She was my daughter before she became your sister, missy. That gives me precedence to do whatever I want. Especially when she made the first move.”

Astix, refusing to be deterred, rebutted with several well-thrown shots of turquoise spheres, to which Leo added his own considerable strength though he hid it well, coughing into his hand.

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